Donald Alexander Thomas (born 1 July 1984) is a Bahamian high jumper from Freeport, Bahamas.
Biography Thomas initially played basketball at Bishop Michael Eldon School in Freeport, Bahamas, before taking up high jump in January 2006 while studying at Lindenwood University in Saint Charles, Missouri, where he played on the university's basketball team. He tried high jump for the first time when challenged by members of the track and field team, who were reacting to his claims about his ability to slam dunk. Thomas cleared on his first attempt and on his third-ever jump. The athletes then sought the head track coach, Lane Lohr, who entered Thomas in a meet two days later at Eastern Illinois University. At the meet, he cleared on his seventh-ever jump.
In March 2006, Thomas placed second at the 2006 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships with a height of . Later that month, just two months after taking up high jump, he finished fourth at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne with a jump of 2.23 m. Not yet experienced at high jump, Thomas gained notoriety at the Commonwealth Games for not measuring his run-up, competing in shoes without spikes, and putting his arms behind his back to land on the mat as if breaking his fall.
During the 2007 indoor season, he cleared 2.30 metres for the first time and in March jumped 2.33 metres in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In July 2007 he cleared 2.35 metres in Salamanca, Spain. The result was a new personal best and the world season's best at the time. He then won the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, again with a 2.35 jump. He also won gold at the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final. That year, he also won the IAAF Newcomer of the Year and the Bahamas Amateur Athletic Association Athlete of the Year.
The Olympics in 2008, however, turned out to be a major disappointment for Thomas. He made only 2.20 in the qualifying round and finished 21st overall.
Thomas won the gold medal in the high jump at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. In the final, he was the only competitor to clear the height of 2.32, which he managed on the first attempt. His countryman Trevor Barry won the silver medal in the event. In 2011, he won the gold medal in the high jump at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, again with a height of 2.32.
Thomas competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. In qualification, he cleared 2.16, passed on 2.21, failed to clear 2.26, and did not advance to the final.
Thomas represented the Bahamas at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He made the final for the first time at an Olympic competition and finished in equal 7th place with a jump of 2.29.
He competed at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics.
Competition record Representing the 2006Commonwealth GamesMelbourne, Australia4th2.23 mNACAC U23 ChampionshipsSanto Domingo, Dominican Republic2nd2.21 mCentral American and Caribbean GamesCartagena, Colombia4th2.13 m2007Pan American GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazil2nd2.30 mWorld ChampionshipsOsaka, Japan1st2.35 m2008Olympic GamesBeijing, China21st (q)2.20 m2009World ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany15th (q)2.27 m2010World Indoor ChampionshipsDoha, Qatar15th (q)2.18 mCentral American and Caribbean GamesMayagüez, Puerto Rico1st2.28 mCommonwealth GamesDelhi, India1st2.32 m2011World ChampionshipsDaegu, South Korea11th2.20 mPan American GamesGuadalajara, Mexico1st2.32 m2012World Indoor ChampionshipsIstanbul, Turkey15th (q)2.22 mOlympic GamesLondon, United Kingdom30th (q)2.16 m2013Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsMorelia, Mexico –NMWorld ChampionshipsMoscow, Russia6th2.32 m2014World Indoor ChampionshipsSopot, Poland –NMCommonwealth GamesGlasgow, United Kingdom9th2.21 m2015Pan American GamesToronto, Canada3rd2.28 mWorld Championships Beijing, China6th2.29 m2016World Indoor ChampionshipsPortland, United States10th2.25 mOlympic GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazil7th2.29 m2017World ChampionshipsLondon, United Kingdom22nd (q)2.22 m2018World Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham, United Kingdom6th2.20 mCommonwealth GamesGold Coast, Australia4th2.27 mCentral American and Caribbean GamesBarranquilla, Colombia1st2.28 mNACAC ChampionshipsToronto, Canada3rd2.28 m2019Pan American GamesLima, Peru11th2.10 mWorld ChampionshipsDoha, Qatar19th (q)2.22 m2021Olympic GamesTokyo, Japan25th (q)2.21 m2022World Indoor ChampionshipsBelgrade, Serbia11th2.20 mWorld ChampionshipsEugene, United States23rd (q)2.21 mNACAC ChampionshipsFreeport, Bahamas3rd2.25 m2023World ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary16th (q)2.25 mPan American GamesSantiago, Chile3rd2.24 m2024World Indoor ChampionshipsGlasgow, United Kingdom9th2.15 mOlympic GamesParis, France –NM2025NACAC ChampionshipsFreeport, Bahamas2nd2.21 mWorld ChampionshipsTokyo, Japan19th (q)2.21 m2026Commonwealth GamesGlasgow, United Kingdom6th2.10 m
References
External links
Donald Thomas at Auburn Tigers (archived)